Level and who it's forEarly (Pre-K–K)
- Books and activities
- Children listen to English picture books and storybooks and learn their phrases through songs, games, and role-play.
- Level page
- See K–G1 Book Club
Book Club
Your child reads English books chosen for their age and reading level, then talks and writes about them in English.
Children in Pre-K and kindergarten listen to picture books and talk about them. Students in grades 1–6 read chapter books and write responses and opinions. Students in Grade 7 and up critique fiction and nonfiction and write research papers.
What your child learns in each grade
Two children the same age can start at different levels, depending on how well they read.
*Hover over or tap a card to see the details and its link.
Level and who it's forDeveloping (G1–3)
- Books and activities
- Students read chapter books they can finish on their own and write about how the book made them feel.
- Level page
- See G1–3 Book Club
Level and who it's forIndependent (G4–6)
- Books and activities
- Students read more complex English books, come up with questions on social studies, science, and history topics, and debate them with evidence.
- Level page
- See G4–6 Book Club
What your child learns in Critical Book Club (Grade 7 and up)
It's the level after Independent (G4–6).
- What your child practices: Reading English fiction and nonfiction
What they learn: Your child reads English literature with real literary merit, plus nonfiction on social and philosophical questions.
- What your child practices: Weighing the author's intent and context
What they learn: Your child looks at the theme's meaning and the work's social and cultural context from several points of view.
- What your child practices: Writing and presenting essays and research papers
What they learn: Your child writes English essays and research papers backed by evidence, then presents them.
Students preparing for an essay competition
Students preparing for the John Locke Institute Essay Competition, an English essay competition, choose their own research topic, gather sources, and write a research paper. The scope of their preparation depends on their writing level.
Read the whole book, then put thoughts into words
How much students read and which activities they do depend on their Book Club level and the reading level of the class. At the Early level (Pre-K–K), classes center on listening to books and play-based activities.
- Step: Get ready to read
At this step, your child: Learns key words, finds out about the author and characters, and watches a related TED talk.
- Step: Read and check understanding
At this step, your child: Reads the book and goes over the order of events with the instructor.
- Step: Organize ideas
At this step, your child: Analyzes the themes, symbols, and characters' conflicts and records them in Cornell notes, worksheets, and mind maps.
- Step: Write and get written corrections
At this step, your child: Writes a book review built on the main idea and the questions they still have, then gets individual written corrections from the instructor.
At the Independent level (G4–6), students read and write about one book, Gordon Korman's Restart, through nine activities. See the G4–6 Restart lesson example
Book reviews and essays show how well your child reads and writes
Your child's book reviews, essays, research papers, and class worksheets go into their own portfolio. See how parents get progress updates
What to settle before your child starts
What to settle · What we'll go over in consultation
- Starting level and class
- The Book Club level and class that match the reading level shown on your child's diagnostic assessment
- Books
- The books the class will read and how much homework there is
Plan your child's Book Club classes
Tell us your child's age, the English books they're reading these days, and how well they talk or write about what they read. For students in Grade 7 and up, also let us know whether they want to prepare for an essay competition.